1964 Chevy Impala Horn Ring W/ No Center Cap on 2040-parts.com

2012 Honda Insight gets a facelift and emits 96g/km

2012 Honda Insight We’re still not convinced that Honda has its heart in the Insight Hybrid, but they have no choice other than to present some semblance of competition to the stranglehold Toyota has developed in the hybrid market. So in an effort to make it more appealing, the unconvincing 2012 Honda Insight gets a bit of a facelift and, perhaps more appealingly for many, a cut in emissions to under the magic 100g/km. Titivations to the Insight for 2012 include a new front grill and bumper – just so existing Insight owners can feel fed up at driving the ‘old’ Insight – and a smaller spoiler and wiper at the back for better visibility.

It looks like Aston Martin could be getting AMG/Mercedes platforms too

Mercedes/AMG platforms would make the Lagonda SUV a reality We’d been expecting Aston Martin to get access to Mercedes platforms ever since the Lagonda SUV – based on the underpinnings of the Mercedes GL - arrived in all its ‘beauty’ in 2009. The Lagonda SUV was met with wails of anguish from lovers of Aston Martin’s timeless beauty but, despite the horror at the looks of the SUV, the prospect that Aston Martin could be heading down a collaboration route with Mercedes was welcome. It was welcome because without the support of a major car maker – and access to its technology – Aston Martin would have little chance of a bright future; there is no way a minnow like Aston Martin could afford the development cost of new engines and platforms.

Automakers trail in the great gizmo race

A customer at Rockland Toyota in suburban New York recently asked why he couldn't recharge his cell phone through the USB port built into the otherwise sophisticated Toyota Venza crossover. Evan Kuperman, the dealership's assistant general manager, took a deep breath. He shrugged his shoulders and smiled.